Automatic sash-raising mechanism



A. 0. AND E. JIRAWLINGS.

AUTOMATIC SASH RAiSING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 6. i920.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- J1 .30 5 2053 35 gas .54

UITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE;

ARTHUR DANIEL RAWLINGS, OF CLAP I-IAM, AND ERNEST JOHN-RAWILINGS, OF

BALI-1AM, LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC SASH-RAISI'NG MECHANISM.

T 0 all w 7mm it mag concern Be it known that we, ARTHUR DANIEL BAwLrNesand ERNEST Joi-IN RAwLiNes, subjects of the King of Great Britain andIreland, residing, respectively, at 11 Sandmere road, Clapham, London,S. England, and'll Streathbourne road, Balham, London, S. England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in orConnected with AutomaticSash-Raising Mechanism, of which the following is. a specification.

The invention is intended to be employed as an adjunct to'mechanism forautomatically raising the sashes of motor cars and other carriages andto that construction of such automatic sash raising mechanism whichcomprises. a spring-actuated roller provided with fusee-barrels, a brakeacting on said roller, and a cord secured at its ends to saidfusee-barrels and passing under pulleys supported in bearings at thebottom of the sash, see specification of United States Patent No.1,154,432, granted to the present applicants. Inthe case of thesash-raising mechanism covered by said patent the sash is lowered by apull on a cord or the like which is attached to said spring-actuatedroller and passes through a slot in the casing protecting the parts ofthe mechanism.

lhe present invention has been devised with the object of providingmechanism by which the above referred to pull-cord or the like shall bewound up as soon as it is released.

Said mechanism consists of a drum for the pull-cord rotatably -mountedon the spring-actuated roller of the sash-raising mechanism, aclock-spring secured at one of its ends to the casing inclosing thesashraising mechanism and at'its other end to a bobbin or surfacerotating with said drum, a coiled spring adapted to be contracted on tothe spring-actuated roller of the sashraising mechanism and attached atone of its ends to said drum and at itsother end to means by which thelast mentioned end of said coiled spring is temporarily retained duringthe first part of the pull exerted on the pull-cord or the like.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 to5 showing one embodiment, and Figs. 6 to 11 a second embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation, as seen fromits outer side, of a casingcontaining the first Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed November 6, 1920. Serial No. 422,343.

embodiment of the mechanism of the present invention and the automaticsash-raising mechanism with which said'embodiment is to be used. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the partsof said embodiment, Figs. 3, 1 and 5 are transverse sections, drawn to alarger scale, taken 011 the lines A-B, CD and E-F of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, corresponding to Fig. 1, showing a secondembodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section, on anenlarged scale, illustrating the parts of this second embodiment. Figs.8 and 9 are transverse sections, drawn to an en la'rged scale, taken onthe lines GH, and IJ of Fig. 7. Figs. 10 and 11 are a side view and anend View of the bent strip of spring steel used in this embodiment.

In all of the figures, where the parts are shown, 1 is a shaftcontrolled by means of a coiled spring 2. 3 is a roller rotatablymounted on the shaft 1, 42 are fusee-barrels secured to the roller 3,and 5 is acord or Wire which is secured at itsendsto' and is wound onthe fusee-barrels & and passes around pulleys supported in bearings atthe bottom of the sash of a motor car or other vehicle. 6 is a casinginclosing the sashraising mechanism, and 7 are bearings provided in thecasing for the shaft 1. dis a brake consisting of a multi-coil springband which is secured at one of its ends to the casing 6 and normallygrips the roller 3 and thereby retains said sash in any position towhich it may be raised or lowered. 9 is a lever for releasing the brake8, which is pivotally mounted in the lower part of the casing 6. One armof the lever 9 is bent and passes through a hole 10 formed in the frontof the casing 6 and terminates in a button 11, while the other arm ofthe lever 9 is adapted when said button is pressed toward the casing tobear against a stud 12 fixed to the free. end of the coil 8 and relievethe ten sion upon the roller and. so allow the sash to be raised by themechanism. 13 are holes formed in a collar 14, fixed to one end of theshaft 1, by means of which and a rod fitting said holes the spring 2 maybe wound fixed to the inner side of the door of the motor car or othervehicle, and is secured to said door by means of screws passing throughholes formed in lugs 19, an arrangement which allows of ready access tothe parts of the sash raising mechanism, as all that is necessary is toremove said screws, when the casing can be. turned downward on thehinges 17. 20 is a pull-cord for lowering the sash and 21 is a slotformed in the easing 6 for said cord.

All of the above enumerated parts form the essential parts of anautomatic sashraising mechanism of the kind described and illustrated inthe specification of U. S. A. Patent No. 1,154,432, and adapted to beused with the present invention.

Referring first to the embodiment of the present invention illustratedby Figs. 1 to 5, 22 isa drum, preferably provided at its ends withflanges, which is rotatably mounted on the spring-actuated roller 3 withits center coincident with the vertical center line of the door of themotor car or other carriage, and to this drum is attached the inner endof the pull-cord 20. 23 is a bobbin rotatably mounted on thespring-actuated roller 3 at one side of the drum 22 and connected tosame so that the two rotate as one piece. 24 is a clock-spring which iswound up when the pull-cord 20 is pulled and returns said pull-cord whenthe latter is released by the user, and is secured at one of its ends tothe barrel of the bobbin 23 and at its other end to the casing 6. 25 isa sleeve which is rotatably mounted on the spring-actuated roller 3 atthe side of the drum opposite to that occupied by the bobbin 23, andcooperates with a friction device, such as a bent metal strip 26 securedat one of its ends to the casing 6, which offers a certain amount ofresistance to the rotation of said sleeve. 27 is a length of springsteel which is bent to such shape as to bear with its free end againstthe inner surface of the sleeve 25, and is secured to a collar 23rotatably mounted on the spring actuated roller 3. 29 is a length ofcoiled wire, acting as a clutch, which is placed within the drum 22 andis connected at one of its ends to said drum and at its other end to thecollar 28.

The above described parts cooperate in the following manner:

Normally the tassel at the free end of the pull-cord 20 will be close tothe slot or opening 21 in the casing 6. If the occupant of the motor caror carriage wishes to lower the sash he takes hold of said tassel andpulls on the pull-cord 20. At the commencement of said pull the drum 22will be rotated through a small angle and the end of the coiled wire 29attached to the drum 22 will be twisted. As a result of said twistingthe coiled wire 29 will be contracted on to and grip the spring actuatedroller 3, as the end of the coiled wire 29 which is opposite to thatconnected to the drum 22 will be held by the grip obtaining between theinterior surface of the sleeve 25 and the free end of the length ofspring steel 27 carried by the collar 28. As soon as the coiled wire 29is contracted on to the spring-actuated roller 3 to a degree sufficientto grip said roller the latter and all of theparts loosely mountedthereon will rotate together and the clock-spring 24 will be wound up.Immediately the pullcord 20 is released the clock-spring 24 willcommence to unwind. As a result the coiled wire 29 will cease to gripthe spring-actuated roller 3, which will be held by its brake 8, whilethe drum 22 the bobbin 23, and the collar 28 to which is secured thelength of spring steel 27 will be rotated backward, the outer part ofsaid length of spring steel slipping on the inner surface of the sleeve25. At the end of said backward rotation the tassel attached to the endof the pull-cord 20 will be returned to its original position.

Referring now to the modified construction of mechanism illustrated byFigs. 6 to 11, 30 is a drum rotatably mounted on the central part of thespring-actuated roller 3. 31 is a clock-spring which is secured at itsinner end to an extension 32 of the drum 30 and is secured at its outerend to the inner surface of the casing 6. 33 is a bushing secured to theinterior of the drum 30 and made of such length as to project beyond theend of the drum opposite to that provided with the extension 32. 34 is aflanged sleeve mounted on the projecting part of the bushing 33, and 35is a suitably bent strip of metal secured at one of its ends to thecasing 6 and bearing against the periphery of said flanged sleeve. 36 isa segmental slot formed in the projecting part of the bushing 33. 37 isa bent strip of spring steel one part 37 of which, adapted to serve as aclutch for operatively connecting the drum 30 to the spring-actuatedroller 3, is connected at 38 to the bushing 33, while the remainingpart; 37, adapted to temporarily hold the outer end of the firstmentioned part 37 as hereinafter described, is passed, as shown in Fig.8, through the slot 36 and around the projecting part f the bushing 33and bears against the inner surface of the flanged sleeve 34.

The parts of the embodiment of the invention just described cooperateasfollows Normally the tassel at the free end of the pull-cord 20 willbe close to the slot 21 formed in the casing 6. If the sash of the dooris to be lowered the occupant of the motor car or carriage takes hold ofthe tassel and pulls on the pull cord 20. During the first part of therotation of the drum 30 the part 37 of the member 37 will be contractedon to the spring-actuated roller 3, as its outer end will be held owingto the frictional grip obtaining between the outer portion of the secondpart 37 of the member 37 and the flanged sleeve 34. As soon as the part37 of the member 37 grips the roller 3 the latter and the drum 30 willrotate as one and the flanged sleeve 34 will rotate in the bent strip35, the clock spring 31 being wound up. Immediately the pull-cord 20 isreleased the clock-spring 31 will commence to unwind. As a consequencethe part 37 of the member 37 will cease to grip the spring-actuatedroller 3, which will be held by its brake 8, and the drum 30 and all ofthe other rotatable parts of the mechanism, with the exception of theflange sleeve 34, will be rotated backward. When the clock-spring hasbeen unwound the tassel of the pull-cord Will have been returned to itsoriginal position.

In the figures of the accompanying drawings in which the clock-spring isshown in section the latter is, for the sake of more clearlyillustrating the parts of the invention, shown as consisting of but twoto three turns. its will be readily understood said spring consists of aconsiderable number of turns.

Having now described our invention, what we have invented and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows 1. Means foruse with automatic sashraising 'meohanism of the kind specified herein,for winding up the pull-cord or the like by which the spring-actuatedroller of said mechanism is rotated, consisting of a drum for saidpull-cord or the like rotatably mounted on said spring-actuated roller,a clock-spring secured at one of its. ends to the casing inclosing saidsash-raising mech a'nism and at its other end to a bobbin or surfacerotating with said drum, and a clutch consisting of a coiled springadapted to be contracted on to the spring-actuated roller of thesash-raising mechanism and attached at one of its ends to said drum andoperatively connected at its other end to means by which the lastmentioned end of said coiled spring is temporarily retained during thefirst part of the pull exerted on the pull-cord or the like,substantially as described.

2. Means for use with automatic sashraising mechanism of the kindspecified herein, for winding up the pull-cord or the like by which thespring-actuated roller of said mechanism is rotated, consisting of a.drum for said pull-cord or the like rotatably mounted on saidspring-actuated roller, a clock-spring secured at one of its ends to thecasing inclosing said sash-raising mechanism and at its other end to abobbin rotating with said drum, a sleeve rotatably mounted on saidspring-actuated roller at the side of said drum opposite to thatoccupied by said drum and cooperating with a bent strip of metal orother friction device, a collar housed within said sleeve and rotatablymounted on said spring-actuated roller, a length of spring steel securedat one of its ends to said collar and bearing at its other end againstthe inner surface of said sleeve, and a coiled spring adapted to becontracted on to said spring-actuated roller and secured at its ends tosaid drum and collar, substantially as described.

3. Means for use with automatic sashraising mechanism of the kindspecified herein, for winding up the pull cord or the like by which thespring-actuated roller of said mechanism is rotated, consisting of adrum for said pull-cord or the like rotatably mounted on saidspring-actuated roller and provided at one of its ends with anextension, a bushing secured to the interior of said drum and projectingbeyond the end thereof opposite to that provided with said eXtension,asegmental slot formed in the projecting part of said bushing, and a bentstrip of spring steel comprising a cylindrically disposed part securedat one of its ends to said bushing and a second part pass ing throughthe segmental slot formed in said bushing and bearing against the innersurface of said flanged sleeve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

ARTHUR DANIEL RAWVLINGS. ERNEST JOHN RAWLINGS

